Affordable Coziness for Downhill Resort Laps: REI Women’s Powderbound Insulated Ski Jacket

I didn’t need many ski runs to understand what the Powderbound women’s ski jacket does best. Tested during an early-season weekend at Aspen Snowmass, I quickly realized it’s a comfortable, no-fuss resort jacket that prioritizes warmth and thoughtful attributes over technical bells and whistles.

And this is a good thing. The Powderbound is part of REI’s value-oriented ski lineup. It’s easy to wear, adequately featured, and surprisingly well-fitting for a women’s ski jacket at this price.

Nothing about it feels flashy, but it doesn’t feel cheap either, despite the friendly cost. After testing, I fondly thought of the Powderbound as a favorite workhorse that delivers a reliable experience. For many skiers, this will be a major win at such an affordable price.

In short: The REI Co-op Women’s Powderbound Insulated Ski Jacket ($229) is a warm, comfortable, and well-equipped resort shell for women that offers a lot of value for everyday skiers. It’s best suited to lift-served days and colder conditions, with a more refined fit than older REI ski jackets.

To see how the Powderbound compares to its competition, take a look at our buyer’s guide on the Best Women’s Ski Jackets.

REI Co-op Powderbound Insulated Ski Jacket Review

The Powderbound has been part of REI’s ski lineup for several seasons and has seen a handful of tweaks rather than headline-grabbing redesigns. While the knock used to be that the Powderbound was boxy and unflattering, the ski jacket now reflects a shift toward a better fit and modern proportions.

I tested the jacket over roughly 2.5 days of skiing at Aspen Snowmass, splitting time between Snowmass and Ajax. Conditions were unseasonably sunny and warm for December, with air temperatures sitting around 28 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

While I didn’t see any speck of moisture (seriously, we need snow!), I also conducted an at-home waterproofing test by running the jacket sleeve under the faucet. Sometimes, we have to get creative in our field testing!

Warm Enough to Rethink Your Layers

Warmth is the Powderbound’s calling card. The jacket uses 80 g of synthetic insulation in the body along with 60 g in the sleeves. That is paired with REI’s proprietary two-layer waterproof shell. In non-technical terms, that means the Powderbound is designed to trap heat while offering basic weather protection. While I certainly didn’t experience polar conditions with my 28-degree low, I never felt chilled, even while sitting in the snow or waiting on the chairlift.

I will note that the warmth became a liability once I started skiing. On sunny runs at Snowmass, I felt like a potato baking in the oven. Even with pit zips open, heat built quickly.

After removing the midlayer I stupidly thought I would need, the jacket felt much more manageable. But still, don’t be fooled: the Powderbound is built for warmth. Based on testing, I’d be comfortable wearing this jacket into mid-teen temperatures (Fahrenheit) with a light midlayer underneath, especially if conditions are cloudy or windy.

I wish I could say snowfall was minimal during testing, but it was actually nonexistent. I can’t speak to performance in a full storm, so I got creative. To get some sense of water resistance, I stuck my arm beneath the sink faucet at home and let it sit there for about 60 seconds, just to see how the Powderbound fared.

It’s a crude test, but given the season, it was the best option. Water beaded and never soaked through, which is a win for the jacket’s PFAS-free waterproof treatment.

A Pleasant Surprise for the Fit

I’ll be brutally honest: I really thought I’d hate the fit on this women’s ski jacket. In years past, REI ski jackets felt baggy and shapeless, more potato sack than flattering performance piece. But that’s not the case anymore.

I’m 5’5″ and weigh around 145 pounds, and I tested my usual size of a women’s medium. The fit was spot on. It wasn’t tight or restrictive, but it also didn’t hang awkwardly or swallow my frame as I expected. I had room for a close-fitting midlayer without losing my silhouette.

Overall, I was pleased with the fit. It’s not uber-flattering, sleek, or even particularly stylish, but it’s far less bland than in years past. From where I sit (ski?), I think it’s a cut that will work for a lot of women.

Mobility was excellent. The shoulders never felt tight, even when reaching overhead. The arm length also worked well for me as someone with self-proclaimed longer arms. I never felt the jacket pulling or bunching while pole planting.

Overall, the Powderbound feels intentionally designed for the everyday, recreational resort skier. It’s not fashion-forward, but it’s functional in a way that feels more modern than REI ski jackets of the past.

Thoughtful Features Where They Count

For a ski jacket with this price tag, the Powderbound packs in an impressive set of features. Pit zips were essential during testing, even if they couldn’t fully offset the jacket’s warmth. They’re easy to access and effective enough to help dump some heat.

Storage is practical and plentiful. There’s a zippered pass pocket on the left wrist, two generous zippered hand pockets, and a zippered chest pocket on the left side. (As a mom, I used this last one for treats.) Inside, you get a large mesh drop-in pocket designed for goggles and a zippered media pocket with a port for headphone cords.

I’m not a fan of powder skirts and usually remove them immediately, because I don’t like how they pinch my waist. While the Powderbound’s powder skirt isn’t removable, it does snap out of the way, which I appreciated. It’s also not overly snug, so it doesn’t create that awkward cinched feeling around your middle.

The cuffs deserve a callout. They’re wider than average, with substantial hook-and-loop closures that easily slide over under-the-cuff winter mittens and bulky sport watches. I skied with the Hestra Fall Line mittens and the Suunto Vertical watch, and the cuffs easily fell over both without catching or getting stuck. The helmet-compatible hood rounded out the feature set and fit comfortably over my ski helmet without restricting movement.

Room for Improvement

Breathability is the Powderbound’s biggest weakness. Once I overheated, I couldn’t get away from it. My guess is that limitation stems from the jacket’s two-layer construction. In simple terms, three-layer shells tend to breathe better than two-layer designs, but they’re also far more expensive.

While I do think it’s important to note this drawback, I suspect most skiers are willing to make that tradeoff to save a few hundred dollars. Still, you won’t be hiking in this ski jacket any day soon.

Style is another minor drawback. While the fit is significantly better than REI ski jackets of years past, the overall look remains fairly bland. For me, the color options are largely to blame, as they feel particularly dated.

Final Thoughts

The REI Co-op Women’s Powderbound Insulated Ski Jacket is warm, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed for everyday resort skiing. It runs hot, breathes less than premium shells, and won’t turn heads in the ski lift line — but it also costs far less than most women’s ski jackets on the market.

For cold-natured skiers, casual resort days, or anyone who wants dependable warmth, the Powderbound delivers tons of value. Skiing is already an inaccessible sport due to the forever-rising cost of participation, so I like to see reasonable outerwear options like this. For this reason, I think the Powderbound is a budget-driven option that punches far above its weight class.